(19)
(11) EP 2 489 324 A3

(12) EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION

(88) Date of publication A3:
23.11.2016 Bulletin 2016/47

(43) Date of publication A2:
22.08.2012 Bulletin 2012/34

(21) Application number: 12162273.2

(22) Date of filing: 12.11.2010
(51) International Patent Classification (IPC): 
B25J 9/10(2006.01)
F16D 3/26(2006.01)
A61B 34/00(2016.01)
A61B 17/28(2006.01)
F16D 3/18(2006.01)
F16D 3/42(2006.01)
A61B 34/30(2016.01)
A61B 17/064(2006.01)
A61B 17/285(2006.01)
A61B 34/37(2016.01)
(84) Designated Contracting States:
AL AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HR HU IE IS IT LI LT LU LV MC MK MT NL NO PL PT RO RS SE SI SK SM TR
Designated Extension States:
BA ME

(30) Priority: 13.11.2009 US 260903 P
13.11.2009 US 260910 P
13.11.2009 US 260915 P

(62) Application number of the earlier application in accordance with Art. 76 EPC:
10781556.5 / 2485674

(71) Applicant: Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc.
Sunnyvale, CA 94086 (US)

(72) Inventors:
  • Burbank, William
    Sandy Hook, CT Connecticut 06482 (US)
  • Dachs, II, Gregory
    San Francisco, CA California 94107 (US)
  • Murphy, Todd
    Palo Alto, CA California 94306 (US)

(74) Representative: MacDougall, Alan John Shaw et al
Mathys & Squire LLP The Shard 32 London Bridge Street
London SE1 9SG
London SE1 9SG (GB)

   


(54) Surgical tool with a compact wrist


(57) Surgical tools having a two degree-of-freedom wrist (70), wrist articulation by linked tension members (218, 220, 222, 224), mechanisms (372, 390) for transmitting torque through an angle, and minimally invasive surgical tools incorporating these features are disclosed. An elongate intermediate wrist member (80) is pivotally coupled with a distal end of an instrument shaft (74) so as to rotate about a first axis transverse to the shaft, and an end effector body (72) is pivotally coupled with the intermediate member so as to rotate about a second axis that is transverse to the first axis. Linked tension members (218, 220, 222, 224) interact with attachment features (180, 182, 184, 186) to articulate the wrist. A torque-transmitting mechanism (372, 390) includes a coupling member (384, 394), coupling pins (398, 400), a drive shaft (392), and a driven shaft (396). The drive shaft is coupled with the driven shaft so as to control the relative orientations of the drive shaft, the coupling member, and the driven shaft.







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Search report